Xiaomi’s "Compact" 18 Weighs Nearly as Much as the 18 Pro

Xiaomi’s standard 18 is shaping up as a compact phone with Pro-level hardware. A new leak lists a 200MP camera, 100W charging and up to 16GB of RAM. It also points to a weight near 200 g, which is a lot for a small phone, almost same as the Pro 18, Not really compact is it?

The leak comes from Digital Chat Station but he did not name Xiaomi. He wrote only about one maker’s phone with a 2nm chip. IT Home links it to the standard Xiaomi 18 and the details match earlier reports, but treat them as rumors.

The top version should offer 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The tipster also lists an improved screen, a larger camera sensor and a bigger battery. He does not say which phone he compares it with, so “improved” is hard to check. He also names no chip, only the 2nm process.

Other leaks fill the gaps though. They point to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and a flat 6.4-inch 1.5K screen. The battery is rumored at 7,200mAh, a little more than the Pro’s 7,000mAh. One tipster, Bald Panda whose report was covered by It Home, lists a 200MP main camera, a 200MP telephoto and a 50MP ultrawide. Other leaks disagree on the number of rear cameras.

Several signs point the same way. A phone with the model number M261DB cleared China’s 3C certification on November 6, with 100W wired charging. Another tipster, Experience More, says it is the standard 18 and that it will launch in December. Dealers in China have opened blind orders.

Xiaomi has said little. Lu Weibing, head of its phone business, said before the Pro launch that the standard model exists and will come out on its own. But for now That is all the company has shared.

The Pro series went on sale in China on September 23. It has a 6.4-inch screen, a 7,000mAh battery, a 200MP main camera and a weight of 203 g. It starts at 5,999 yuan, about $900. The Pro Max starts at 6,999 yuan, about $1,050, and has an 8,500mAh battery.

The standard model has no rear screen, which both Pro models have, And its 100W charging matches the Xiaomi 17.

Weight is the sore point. Commenters on the tipster’s post called 200 g too heavy for such a small phone. He replied that a large battery, a large sensor and low weight are hard to combine. In my view, a phone only 3 g lighter than the Pro is hard to call compact. It makes sense only if Xiaomi prices it well below the Pro.

The December launch is for China. Xiaomi has named no global date for the standard model. It has confirmed a Paris event on November 17 at 14:00 local time. That event is for the 18 Pro series, new wearables and Mijia smart home products.

Buyers outside China who want a compact phone should expect to wait. Watch the prices Xiaomi sets in Paris first.